This isn’t the first time PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has gotten up in arms over a video game. Even though Assassin’s Creed 4 was only just announced days ago, PETA has come out against the game due to the recent trailer’s implication that the title will include whaling. The organization had this to say to Venturebeat:
Whaling—that is, shooting whales with harpoons and leaving them to struggle for an hour or more before they die or are hacked apart while they are still alive—may seem like something out of the history books, but this bloody industry still goes on today in the face of international condemnation, and it’s disgraceful for any game to glorify it. PETA encourages video game companies to create games that celebrate animals—not games that promote hurting and killing them.
It wasn’t long before Ubisoft responded to this condemnation. They once again stated that the Assassin’s Creed series is based upon actual history, and does not reflect the company’s personal views and ideals. Due to whaling being prevalent during Black Flag’s timeframe, it only makes sense that they would include it, even if only in passing.
We do not condone illegal whaling, just as we don’t condone a pirate lifestyle of poor hygiene, plundering, hijacking ships, and over the legal limit drunken debauchery.
This attack against Ubisoft is only the latest in a long line of outrage against various video games. Recently, PETA slandered Super Mario Bros because of Mario’s Tanooki suit, and the organization has been going after the Pokémon series for years.
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